Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  A tiny, high-pitched voice squeaked, their concealment disappearing to reveal a small child. Jared couldn’t tell if they were a boy or girl from the baggy clothes and gaunt appearance. Whoever they were, they held makeshift shivs in white-knuckled grips, their body quivering in fear as tears came unbidden to their eyes.

  “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you,” Jared said, trying to soothe them. “You lower your weapons, and I’ll put mine away too, okay?”

  A firm head-shake from the person made Jared tighten his grip on the pistol. He didn’t think he could bring himself to shoot a child, but he also wasn’t about to get stabbed. He’d learned his lesson not to trust humans outright.

  “Look, I won’t hurt you so long as you try nothing to harm me.”

  Glancing at his pistol, fear danced in their eyes.

  Everything okay down there?

  Yes, thanks, Scarlet. I think I can handle it from here. It’s just a small child. Can you do a quick survey around the area? Make sure no one else is lingering nearby?

  I do not see any others.

  Okay, thanks. Go ahead and head back; I’ll handle everything here.

  Realizing he’d get nowhere if he didn’t lower his weapons, Jared held his arms out wide in a non-threatening manner.

  “Okay, let’s put our weapons away at the same time. Can we do that?”

  Hesitating a moment, Jared received a shaky nod as acceptance.

  Ever so slowly, Jared re-holstered his weapons, while the child slid their knives back into sheaths on their wrists.

  Jared knelt down and introduced himself.

  “My name is Jared.”

  “Elle,” she responded briskly.

  “Hi, Elle. What are you doing out here all alone?” Jared glanced around him to make his point.

  “I explore. Not get caught.” She pouted at that last phrase, clearly upset he’d found her.

  “How were you able to hide from me?”

  “I hide. You not see first time.”

  He wouldn’t get a clear answer this way. It sounded like they barely knew how to talk.

  “You’re right—I didn’t see you at first, but now I know you can hide like that, I will always see you.”

  She tilted her head and a moment later her eyes lit up in understanding. “Like I hide!”

  Her response confused Jared. Her clear lack of communication skills made it hard to understand.

  “Your ability to hide like that, is it special? Um…you learned how to do it?”

  Nodding her head emphatically, she said, “Special. I hide when want.”

  I wonder what kind of ability allows her to hide in plain sight like that? What did she have to endure for that to evolve naturally?

  “Elle, do you have a home?”

  Shaking her head, she responded, “No more. I explore now.”

  “Elle, it’s not safe out here. What happened to your home?” asked Jared.

  “This is home.” She gestured to the surrounding houses.

  Puzzled, Jared didn’t think she understood him, so he tried a different approach.

  “A bunch of creatures just escaped into the area, and they are very dangerous. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to roam around here by yourself right now.”

  Elle’s eyes darted around the area looking confused.

  “It looks like they left town, but I don’t know how far they went or if they’ll come back. Also, if you heard that big boom, it’s because a lot of this area got destroyed. Why don’t you come with me? We can protect you, and if you want to leave later, I won’t stop you.”

  She appeared to think about the decision and cocked her head from side to side. She seemed so young and innocent, Jared wondered what made her set out to explore by herself. It was one thing for him to strike out on his own in his twenties, but he couldn’t imagine being on his own at such a young age. She looked barely old enough to be a teenager.

  After what seemed like a long internal debate, she replied, “I go with.”

  Standing to his feet, Jared offered a hand to help her up.

  Jared, watch out!

  Scarlet’s mental shout reached his ears the same time a giant black cat shimmered into view a few feet away. Its poise suggested it’d been ready to pounce on him.

  Jared yanked Elle to her feet and pushed her behind him while fumbling to retrieve his pistol. However, Elle reached out to grab his arm and re-positioned herself between him and the cat.

  “Kitty. My friend.” She gestured at the cat and then herself. She walked over and wrapped her arms around the massive cat in a hug.

  Jared didn’t know what to make of the strange revelation before him.

  How is this? Why hasn’t it killed her? Why didn’t I see it with Heat Sight? What in the world is going on right now?

  Jared thoughts were a jumbled mess as he tried reconciling the scene before him.

  “Elle, how did you find...Kitty?”

  Elle shook her head. “Kitty find me, I stick with needle. We friend forever.”

  Jared blinked furiously as he processed what he’d heard.

  Can it be?

  “Elle, do you know what bond means? Can you read?”

  “Some. We bond,” Elle said pointing back to her giant cat. “Kitty help me. Talk. She protect me.”

  Jared, is everything okay?

  Scarlet, they...she’s bonded!

  Stunned, Jared’s gaze switched back and forth from Elle to the giant cat and back again. He never expected to meet another bonded, but after thinking it through realized it was inevitable. There had to be other people in the world that’d experimented with the injectors, he’d just never expected it to be a child. He had so many questions.

  How did she get an injector?

  Why did she use it on the cat?

  Where did the cat come from?

  How had it grown into this massive beast?

  He wanted to play twenty questions with her, but knew he needed to get back to Vanessa and the others. They were probably panicking by this point, wondering what happened to him.

  “Elle, will your friend be okay around other people?” Jared cast a sidelong glance at the giant cat. It stared at him with slitted eyes that seemed to burn into his soul. The feline exuded deadly grace, and if it came down to a fight between them, he didn’t know who’d come out on top.

  “Yes. Kitty good girl. She not hurt people. Only hurt stuff try hurt me.”

  Relieved, but still cautious, Jared asked, “Elle, how long has Kitty been your friend? How long have you been here on your own?”

  Elle thought about the questions, cocked her head and frowned. She turned back to Kitty, and they shared a look, no doubt communicating with each other.

  “Kitty say this many.” Elle held up nine fingers.

  “You’ve been here for nine years? And you can talk to Kitty?”

  Blinking at him like he’d said something stupid, she nodded her head vigorously.

  “Elle, can I speak to Kitty?”

  “You try. Kitty say okay.”

  Hello, Kitty.

  The huge cat crouched low, bared its fangs at him and hissed. Jared held his hands up in apology.

  I don’t want to hurt you. I can speak with my thoughts, just like Elle only I don’t need to touch you.

  At this point he didn’t know if the cat could process logical thought or if Elle understood its instinctual nature.

  The cat eyed him warily for a moment longer and then lowered its head for Jared to touch it.

  After he’d placed his hand on its giant head, a mewling, derisive voice said, Yes, I understand.

  Stepping back from the cat, Jared couldn’t believe the turn of events. He marveled at Elle’s resiliency and clear fearlessness for the world around her, and Kit
ty intrigued him.

  Was she a normal house cat? A wild feline that’d already gone through some mutations?

  “Elle, how old are you? Where are you from? Do you have parents here?”

  Again, she consulted the cat and responded by flashing ten fingers once, then four fingers.

  She’s fourteen? Jared couldn’t believe she was so old with the way she acted and spoke. It was more akin to a toddler’s development.

  “I from colony.”

  “I guessed that, but where? Where is your colony? Did you travel far to come here? Which direction did you come from?”

  Elle scrunched her face together as she thought through the slew of questions.

  “I from here.” Elle pointed down at the ground. “I sleep that way.” She pointed in a direction leading away from the city center.

  Stunned, Jared asked, “This colony was your home?”

  He spread his arms wide to encompass the city.

  Elle nodded her head in agreement.

  No. It can’t be. Putting the timeline together, Jared realized that’d she’d bonded around the same time this colony became enslaved by Razael. She was only five years old when her world turned upside down.

  How had she survived all these years? Why didn’t she end up like the rest of the colonists?

  “Elle, how did you learn to talk with Kitty? Do you have one of these?” Jared fished a booster out of his pack and showed it to Elle.

  Her eyes lit up in understanding and she pulled several boosters from a pocket on her coat. A few of them were empty, but she still had two unused injectors.

  “I stick needle in Kitty. Kitty need shot to stay alive too. Mama give me shot. I give Kitty. Mama leave. Only Kitty stay.”

  Understanding blossomed in his mind as the picture became clear. The poor girl thought her cat needed saving the same way she did. She gave it a shot, accidentally creating the bond much like he did with Scarlet. It must’ve been around that same time the rest of the colony had become enslaved. Jared didn’t even know the girl, but he felt a deep sympathy at her plight, and wondered if she was alive because the bond allowed her to remain free of Razael’s influence.

  “Elle, there are others from the colony who survived.”

  A hopeful look sprang up in the girl’s eyes. “Mama? Papa?”

  An emotional dam burst open in Jared, and he turned away to keep the girl from seeing tears well in his eyes. He didn’t know what to her. She’d gone through so much as it was, he didn’t want to give her false hope.

  Haltingly, Jared explained the situation. “Elle, many of the people that lived here died a long time ago. There are some who survived, but there may be no one you know.”

  Elle’s bottom lip trembled, and her eyes filled with glistening tears.

  “They come back?” she choked out.

  That pushed Jared over the edge, and tears flowed freely down his face. He’d experienced so much emotional turmoil the last few weeks, but in that moment, Elle’s loss penetrated deep into his heart. This poor girl stayed in the area for so many years. Hoping. Believing everyone would come back. Like they’d simply forgotten her and would return at any moment.

  I really hope she has family alive, thought Jared, wishing that fate would intervene and she’d find some measure of happiness after all these years.

  It took Jared several minutes to compose himself and dry his eyes.

  Only the setting sun forced him into action. They needed to load up the supplies on the cart and get back to the barn before dark.

  “We’ve got to get moving Elle,” Jared said softly, but she just lay in a crumpled heap, weeping softly.

  Kitty nuzzled his arm and said, Put her on my back.

  Carefully, he placed Elle on Kitty’s back, making sure she wouldn’t fall off, but the graceful cat walked as if it floated over the ground, barely jostling its tiny cargo.

  “I’ll be right back. I just need to go get the cart I was hauling here. Also, Kitty, when we get to the others, please stay back until I explain the situation. These people went through so much trauma the last nine years. I fear they may react with violence if you appear out of nowhere.”

  The large cat dipped its head in acknowledgement, and Jared led them to where he’d abandoned the cart. After retrieving the cart, they made a beeline for the house where he’d left everyone.

  Scarlet, are you back at the barn yet? Oh, and don’t think I noticed you didn’t listen when I asked you to head back. He tried to push amusement into the bond, but he didn’t know if he’d succeeded with the way his emotions were at the moment. Everything is fine. In fact, the girl I found is another survivor from this colony.

  I felt that something was off and took my time returning. How did she survive? Scarlet asked, incredulity in her tone.

  I’ll explain when I get back. And thank you, for having my back.

  When they were a few houses away, Jared motioned for Kitty and Elle to wait. He dropped the cart and strode toward the house. When he’d made it within a few paces, the door banged open and Vanessa burst out, nearly tackling him in her rush to reach him.

  What happened? she asked. It took so long. We feared you—

  “Whoa, whoa. I’m okay. I’m sorry if I scared everyone. I have much to tell you. My short journey was…eventful. Please gather around everyone,” Jared said, raising his voice.

  Because he’d asked Elle and Kitty to hang back, none of the others could see them with their poor eyesight. That worked to Jared’s advantage while he explained the situation.

  “First, I found a cart, and even with my increased strength, we won’t fit all this stuff on it. We can take a lot, but we’ll need to make several trips to avoid overloading the cart.”

  No one voiced any dissent and agreed to do what they must.

  “Now, the reason I didn’t return right away.” He paused, unsure how to phrase his discovery. He opted for simplicity due to their need to get moving. “I found another survivor of your colony.”

  An excited murmur swept through the gathering. He heard hopeful whispers, names of people unaccounted for and wishes to see their loved ones again.

  Jared turned back to Elle and Kitty. “Elle, can you come forward please?”

  After he’d said Elle’s name Vanessa’s grip turned into a death lock on his arm, and he turned to see her face drained of color. Frowning, Jared reminded Kitty to hang back until he was ready for her.

  Elle dropped from the back of the cat and shuffled forward. She’d shown no sign of recognizing anyone here, but then she’d only been four or five years old when they’d vanished. The mutations had also changed their appearance a lot.

  A sudden shriek caught everyone unaware, and several others gasped in surprise. None more so than Jared when Vanessa tore herself free of his arm and rushed forward.

  Jared and the large cat leapt into action, prepared to defend their charges, but then Vanessa shouted again.

  “Elle!”

  Jared and Kitty paused in mid-stride. It was clear these two knew each other.

  “Nessa?” Elle whispered.

  Her face lit up in recognition, and her demeanor transformed into jubilation. The smile she projected lit the world like a sun, and Jared felt his heart soar as Elle and Vanessa ran into each other’s arms.

  Jared watched the happy reunion, tears streaming down his face…again. Only this time, they were tears of happiness.

  I can’t believe they both survived.

  Jared thought about what the others said of Vanessa and how her willpower carried them through the dark days they’d endured. These two sisters definitely had that in common. They’d both survived harsh environments with all the odds stacked against them. Jared wished he could’ve met the parents that raised these two amazing girls and was sad they hadn’t survived their ordeal.

  The girls re
mained wrapped in their embrace for a long time, everyone else giving them their moment of peace and happiness. While the girls enjoyed their reunion, Jared tasked the rest of the colony to begin loading the cart with the first pile of gear. Every now and then, he had to veto a particular item or piece of furniture, explaining that they’d come back and get more later.

  It took over an hour to load both piles unto the cart, and they stashed anything else people wanted into one of the empty buildings. The sun had already disappeared over the horizon by the time they finished, and Jared pushed everyone to move quickly back to the barn.

  Jared smiled as they made their way back. The atmosphere was much lighter than it’d been when they set out this morning. Vanessa and Elle’s reunion infected everyone with hope of a brighter future. After all the hardship fate brought their way, things were finally starting to turn around.

  Oh, crap. Kitty, I’m so sorry—I forgot to introduce you!

  Jared set the cart down and raised his voice. “In all the excitement I forgot to make an introduction. She might startle you, but Elle assures me she is harmless. Kitty?” Jared motioned for the great feline to come forward. Kitty strode forward with the grace of a dancer, head held up in a statuesque posture.

  “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Kitty. Kitty is Elle’s companion, much like Scarlet is mine.”

  The looks of surprise mirrored his own when he’d found out.

  Before anyone could ask questions, Jared said, “Elle can answer your questions on the way to the barn, but we’ve got to get keep moving.

  “Vanessa, please lead the way. I’ll bring the cart along in the back. Kitty, can you please walk up front with them and keep an eye out for any hostile creatures?” The cat cocked his head at him like he was an idiot for even suggesting she’d let her charge walk without protection. Kitty sniffed, and padded over to Elle, taking up the point.

  Shrugging, Jared grabbed the handles on the cart and resumed his march. Once they reached the barn, everyone piled in except for Kitty because Jared wanted to introduce her again. As soon as Elle entered the room, they heard her shout of surprise, and Kitty dropped into a crouch prepared to leap into the room. “Whoa, hold on please. I promise you she’s safe. My companion is inside, and, well—it probably surprised her. She’s…intimidating.”